John Nichols: When the Free Press Fails Democracy

[babylonsister]

When the Free Press Fails Democracy
posted by John Nichols on 05/30/2008 @ 9:56pm

snip//

But why did the reporters do it?

"The press corps was under enormous pressure from corporate executives, frankly, to make sure that this was a war presented in a way that was consistent with the patriotic fever in the nation and the president's high approval ratings," says CNN's Jessica Yellin, who was an MSNBC reporter during the run-up to war and then worked for ABC from the summer of 2003 until the summer of 2007.

Yellin told CNN, "(My) own experience at the White House was that the higher the president's approval ratings, the more pressure I had from news executives--and I was not at this network at the time--but the more pressure I had from news executives to put on positive stories about the president..."

CNN host Anderson Cooper seemed shocked, asking, "You had pressure from news executives to put on positive stories about the president?"

"They wouldn't say it in that way, but they would edit my pieces," explained Yellin. "They would push me in different directions. They would turn down stories that were more critical, and try to put on pieces that were more positive. Yes, that was my experience."

While many current members of the White House press corps are circling the wagons and defending what is left of their credibility -- NBC's David Gregory, who often tangled with McClellan, says, "I think my work speaks for itself and is the clearest refutation of Scott's claim"--a few like Yellin are acknowledging the reality that is now laid bare.


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http://www.thenation.com/blogs/thebeat/325212